my band cranks out bohemian rhapsody inspired by queen and pink, pretty challenging, good onya rog.

I don't know about his being underrated; where would one get that information? Anyway, like all the ingredients of the queen recipe, he was key - way more than the bass-player-guy. Who knows his name? What a great band and Fred is sadly-missed, on this end. What other band had the vocals, creativity, and sound of Queen (oh, shut up, Yes fans. Yes was different).

I don't think people that know him underrate him, I just don't think he's mentioned a lot.

To me he's kind of like Hal Blaine. Hal played so correctly for the tune that you didn't notice the drums, you just liked the tune. Same for Roger.

Plus Freddie was so strong that it was easy to not focus on the drums. Freddie has got to be the best rock vocalist of all time if you ask me.

[QUOTE=MastroSnare;86213] Hal played so correctly for the tune that you didn't notice the drums, you just liked the tune. Same for Roger.QUOTE]

I have to politely disagree. His drum sound, alone, was as distinctive as Brian May's guitar sound (maybe, just to my ears). The power of his stuff on "Prophet's Song" and "Get Down Make Love", to name just two, are walls of sound drums - probably didn't hurt that he had his hand in production. And, yes, one of the greatest bands ever. Captivating to anyone with a pulse, I believe.

Now that you mention it, there WAS a band that (I thought) was very similar to Queen. They came out about the same time as Queen did. They were called Skyhooks. They only put out one album as far as I know "Ego is Not a Dirty Word".

Queen probably had better PR, and recieved more radio airplay. Skyhooks seemed to just fade.

^^^

Intersting. I've not heard of them. Gonna have to do a search. Thanks.

LOVE Roger Taylor's sound. His drum sound was so out there. It was HIS.

Listen to "It's late" from "News of the world"! Try to pull off that roll at the end...

Roger Taylor is first and foremost a groove drummer, but if you listen "between the lines" he's got chops to spare.

His Hi-hat is impeccable.

He has an immediately identifiable sound.

IMHO...I think it is a common misconception that just because you are not flashy and busy you are average. I would rather listen to Charlie Watts for ten minutes than "insert your flashy, super fast superman drummer" for a week.

In the case of Queen's music what other drummer would have improved it?